This is the dish that made Thanh Long legendary. Helene An invented garlic noodles in the 1970s as a bridge between Vietnamese and American tastes, and this version remains the best in the city. The noodles are springy and perfectly cooked, then dressed in a butter-garlic sauce so silky it coats every strand. Tiger prawns sit on top, each one sweet and tender. The sauce balance is impeccable — savory, rich, not heavy.
Tips from diners
This is the dish that spawned a thousand copycats — order it alongside the roasted crab for the full Thanh Long experience. The sauce is the star.
Pair one order of garlic noodles with the roasted crab — the noodles are rich enough to split between two, and they complement the crab's sweetness perfectly.
Thanh Long's iconic dish features a whole live Dungeness crab roasted until the shell turns golden and cracks slightly from the heat, then finished with a showering of black pepper and fried shallots. The meat is sweet and tender, easily extracted from the shell. Each crab is prepared by hand in the family's secret kitchen — a guarded tradition since 1971. Available during crab season (winter months).
Tips from diners
Reserve this dish at least one week in advance during crab season — whole roasted crab sells out quickly, especially on weekends. Available only winter months.
Order this as the centerpiece for a special dinner — it's expensive but iconic, and tableside cracking is part of the experience.
Rice noodle soup in a deeply flavored broth simmered for hours with aromatic spices.
Tips from diners
This is the most affordable item on the menu and surprisingly good — a warming comfort dish before or after the heavier garlic noodles.
A Vietnamese classic where beef cubes are seared in a hot pan until the edges caramelize, then tossed with lime juice, crushed pepper, and fresh red onions. The beef stays tender inside despite the crust. The name refers to the shaking motion used to toss the pan — a technique on full display.
Tips from diners
A lighter main than the seafood-heavy menu suggests — order this for brightness and a change of pace.
A variation on the tiger prawn version, but using sweet Dungeness crab meat instead. This offers a lighter, sweeter protein that plays beautifully against the rich umami garlic butter. Available during crab season and often ordered as an alternative to the whole roasted crab when you want noodles in the same bowl.
Tips from diners
Order this if the whole roasted crab is sold out or if you want the crab flavor in a noodle form — the sweet crab meat is a nice variation.
Thanh Long was founded in 1971 by Vietnamese immigrant Helene An, who bought the space when it was an Italian deli and transformed it into San Francisco's first Vietnamese restaurant. Helene invented garlic noodles as a way to appeal to the American appetite for pasta in the 1970s — the dish became so iconic that it now appears across the city. The family keeps the recipe and roasted crab preparation secret, prepared in a hidden kitchen by family members only. Up to 20 whole Dungeness crabs roast nightly, available only during season.
Reserve well in advance for weekends — Thanh Long is small and highly sought-after. Weekdays (Wednesday/Thursday) offer easier bookings and shorter waits.
Garlic noodles and pho are under $30 and split easily between two people. Reserve the roasted crab ($88) for special occasions — noodles provide the same magic at lower cost.
The restaurant imposes a 20% service charge on all checks to support San Francisco living wages — this is automatic and non-negotiable.
Similar picks in San Francisco
Page last updated: